I'm doing what?

I don't remember it being this time consuming when spending the summers with my grandmother and working (aka playing) in her garden. It was so much fun walking between the potato rows feeling the soft sand between my toes.  Of course, we always used her best kitchen spoon to dig them up with.  I'm surprised she never got mad at us. During the week, I just tend the seedlings but come the weekend, the list is very, very long and unfortunately cleaning the house and finishing the laundry aren't on the top of the list.

Off and running...... both Quinn and Shiner had vet appointments for checkups and shots.  Shiner is going great and is learning to be well-mannered like Quinn.  Quinn unfortunately tested positive for heartworms.  I feel like such a bad parent.  $308 later and we have more appointments in 2 weeks.  That is one dog that will be very, very hard to keep contained while he is being treated. 

Got the oil changed in the car, picked up dog food and made a run to pick up dirt.  You can't use just any dirt.  You have to use a RECIPE:  2 bags organic top soil, 2 bags organic compost, 1 bag organic food soil and 1 bag cow manure.  (Of course, it doesn't call for chicken poop - that I've got a bunch of.)

About half of our red onions died so we planted another set (about 50) of onions so we'll have red onions and Texas Super Sweets.   Onions make just about everything taste so much better.  My dad used to saute onions with butter and pepper on the grill when he cooked steaks.  He has been gone 15 years and I can still smell those onions.  

Finally got potato sacks started. Jonathan mixed the soil for me.  You put a couple of inches of soil in the sack and then plant your seed potatoes and add about 4 more inches soil.  By the time the season is over, the sacks should be about 3-4 feet tall.  We have Yukon Golds, Yukon Gems and two German Butterballs.

Jonathan

My first experience with potatoes did not go well.  Great foliage but no potatoes.



When we finished potato sacks, Shiner decided it would be fun to dig everything up.  Who knew puppies like to eat raw potatoes?  He now has a bad case of the hickups and the sacks now have a fence around then. I bet he still finds a way to dig up those potatoes.

Transplants

After finishing the potatoes, we started 2 retaining walls to terrace the backyard.  The back fence is about 20 feet lower than the house.  Some 10 foot privacy fence when it only keeps the chicken coop from being seen.  Speaking of chicken coop, we turned the chicken poop compost and used it to back fill the retaining walls.  That will be come healthful soil when we actually start cultivating it.

I got most of the tomato seedling transplanted and then sowed kale, red spinach and green spinach.  I think I have one more delivery of seeds from my favorite seed company.  Why are they my favorite you ask....... because I love the watercolor pictures in their catalog.   www.southernexposure.com 

Baby seedlings

This week's Eggs

 


















Here are this week's eggs from our chickens.  We are getting about 2 dozen a week.  My favorites are the green ones.  You save the shells to put back in the garden to keep snails and slugs out - plus great source of calcium.

Oh, did I mention the plumbing backed up on Valentines' night and flooded the 2 bathrooms downstairs.  Met with an awesome plumber on Friday afternoon.  Fixed in 30 minutes and I didn't have to rob a bank to pay him.